Tension lever for electric stop motions



May 18, 1937. f M. WACHSMAN 2,030,903

. v TENSION LEVER FOR ELECTRIC STOP MOTIONS I Filed Feb. 21, 1936 v -%r%w%;man.

IN V EN TOR.

ATTORNEYS.

Patented May 18, 1937 UNITED STATES TENSION LEVER FOR ELECTRIC STOP MOTIONS Michael Wachsman, Brooklyn, N. Y.

Application February 21, 1936, Serial No. 65,009

1 Claim.

This invention relates to improvements in tension levers for use in stop mechanisms for knitting machines of the type shown, for instance, in Reissue Patent 19,069, dated February 6, 1934,

without being limited in its use to any particular type of stop mechanism. Electric stop mechanisms for knitting machines usually include a tension lever for the support of the yarn and are arranged to close an electric circuit when the yarn breaks by reason of a knot or other obstruction therein, When the yarn is placed upon the tension lever, which is usually or very often located beyond the normal reach of the operator, it frequently occurs that the yarn becomes tangled in the stop mechanism. To prevent this, various means have been proposed such as fixed r, guard members which serve as back stops to prevent such entanglements. Sometimes the stop mechanism is provided with a gravity actuated end detector lever. In such case the gravity lever may be shaped to function as a guard. In still other cases the stop mechanism has neither guards nor levers adapted to function as guards and great care must be used in placing the thread upon the tension lever.

The object of this invention is to provide an improved tension lever so shaped as to include means which prevent the yarn from becoming entangled in the stop mechanism and which also includes a member which provides a yarn threading or placing surface to facilitate the placing of the yarn upon the lever.

Accordingly my invention is embodied in a tension leveras hereinafter described and as shown in the accompanying drawing in which Fig. 1 is a side View of the tension lever mounted in a stop mechanism with parts in section.

Fig. 2 is a similar view but shows the tension lever pulled down into circuit closing position.

Fig. 3 is a sectional detail view showing how the lever is pivoted in the stop mechanism.

Fig. 4 is a view of the tension lever looking in the direction of arrow 4 in Figure 1.

Fig. 5 is a similar view looking in the opposite direction.

In the drawing the reference numeral 6 denotes a housing or box formed in any suitable manner and provided with a lug 1 whereby the box may be attached to the knitting machine. 8 denotes a contact spring which is carried by a fixed electric terminal 9 suitably insulated from the box. In the sides Ill of the box are bearing notches II for pivoting the spring held lever l2 which, inside the box, is provided with a contacting heel l3 adapted to contact the spring 8 so as l to close the electric circuit as will be understood. The spring lever I2 is held in normal operative position by a spring l4 having adjustingmeans IS. The front of the box 6 may have stops l6 as indicated to limit the upward movement of the,

tension lever as will be understood.

The lever I2 is preferably bent as shown in Figure 3 and extends forwardly from the box. Upon the spring lever which forms a stem portion 12 there is placed a yarn supporting member generally indicated by the numeral II. This member may be made of procelain or any other like substance which is easily cleaned and which has a hard polished dirt repelling surface.

Member I! is shaped to include a hub l8 whereby it may be glued to or otherwise secured to the stem portion l2 and is further shaped to provide a forwardly extending upwardly curved yarn supporting finger l9. Extending upwardly from the body I! there is an upstanding guard member 20 having an inclined yarn placing surface 2| the lower end of which terminates in a nose 22. Back of the nose the body I! has a curved bottom 23 merging with the yarn supporting finger I9 so as to form a substantially elliptically shaped enclosure 24 with an entrance at 25. The portion 26 forms a definite back stop preventing rearward escape of the yarn from the enclosure 24.

The normal position of the tension lever is as shown in Figure 1 where it is being held upwards against the stop It by the spring I4. The yarn 21 is placed upon the finger l9 by lifting it above said finger and then letting it fall against the yarn guiding surface 2!. The yarn then slides downwards and falls upon the finger and slides in under the nose 22 to rest in the enclosure 24. During operation of the knitting machine the yarn becomes slack at times and will have a tendency to jump away from the supporting finger l9. However, due to the shape of the finger and also because of the nose 22, the slack portions of the yarn cannot escape from the enclosure 24 through the entrance 25. Neither can it become entangled with the stop mechanism because of the back stop curved portion 26.

When a knot or other obstruction occurs in the yarn, the tension lever is pulled down until it reaches the position shown in Figure 2 when the yarn slips off from the finger I9. During this downward movement of the tension lever the heel l3 contacts the spring 8 to close the circuit which in turn serves to actuate the stop mechanism of the knitting machine to stop the latter.

The function and operation of an electric stop motion are so well known in. the art that no further discussion thereof is necessary.

The supporting finger and lower portion of the yarn supporting member I! is made wide enough to provide suitable support for the yarn. The upstanding portion 20 is made rather thin but strong enough to prevent breakage. The features of my improved tension lever are that it includes in one unitary member a yarn supporting finger which together with the body forms an enclosure to prevent an escape of the yarn during normal condition together with an upstanding portion forming a yarn guiding surface. It will be understood of course that the tension lever need not be positioned in front of the box but may be placed to one side thereof. Also that the box may have a gravity actuated lever such as shown in the aforesaid reissue patent but not illustrated herein. The precise dimensions and shape as shown may be varied or changed and other details relating to the location and manner of supporting the tension lever may be changed to suit particular circumstance and within the principle of this invention and the scope of the appended claim. This tension lever may of course also be used in mechanical stop motions.

I claim:-

A tension lever for stop motions for knitting machines comprising a unitary porcelain body which is formed with a rearwardly extending hub portion adapted to be secured to a wire stem, a forwardly extending yarn supporting finger portion and an integral portion overhanging said finger portion to form a yarn enclosure above the finger with an entrance for the yarn at the finger tip, said overhanging portion being materially thinner than the said hub and finger portions and rising from the latter to form an upstanding triangularly shaped guard member, the uppermost point of which extends rearwardly beyond the said hub portion, the forward edge of said guard member being downwardly inclined toward the said yarn entrance.

MICHAEL WACHSMAN. 

